Louise Ross is Service
Manager at the Stop
Smoking Centre in Leicester.
She encourages others to
quit traditional tobacco
cigarettes whilst spreading
the message that there are
other ways to stop smoking.
The service provides
invaluable support to
smokers wanting to lead
a healthier lifestyle
LR: We often hear people say that it
was a revelation for them. They may
have tried other products before, and
may have done really well with them at
the time. Some will say other products
didn’t work for them. Whatever their story
though, vaping seems to give a much
higher success rate AND satisfaction
rate, and that’s really important to us,
when we are wanting the outcome to be
a long term quit. Some people do really
well with a combination of vaping and
NRT, and that’s a success story in itself.
VM: What would you say is the best
treatment (combination or otherwise)
to quit smoking?
LR: Motivation, support, and a product
that works for that individual in terms of
taking away the discomfort and distress
of stopping smoking. Vaping doesn’t suit
everyone, but for those who try it and
move quickly on to a device, flavour and
strength that suits them, it’s a winner.
VM: How does it make you feel when
you know you’ve helped someone
in their journey to become tobaccofree, and that you’ve made a positive
impact on someone’s life?
LR: It reminds us why we do this
job. You would be amazed to see the
difference. Someone comes for their first
appointment looking grey and breathless,
and in weeks, their colour returns, and
they have a spring in their step. Their
pride in doing something remarkable
for themselves is really something to
celebrate.
VM: What do you think of the TPD?
LR: I think Article 20 is a looming
disaster, and I wish we could turn back
the clock and reverse the decision to
class electronic cigarettes as a tobacco
product, when they clearly are not.
NEWS
I fantasise about the UK being exempted
as a ‘control’ to see whether a liberal
approach to vaping could have a bigger
impact on smoking prevalence compared
with EU countries where Article 20 is
implemented.
VM: Stop Smoking Leicester is a
trailblazer in adapting to the new e-cig
landscape – you were the first e-cigfriendly Stop Smoking service in the
UK. There are now a growing number
of services that are adopting a more
open minded approach by offering
e-cig friendly services. What is Stop
Smoking Leicester doing to stay
ahead of the ever-evolving game?
LR: I think the most important thing
is to make and maintain connections
with people who can influence others,
to learn as much as we can, especially
from experienced vapers, and to
never feel defeated, even when faced
with ignorance and prejudice. I’m an
associate of the New Nicotine Alliance
http://nnalliance.org/ and I try to
spread awareness, to support other NNA
members who do this in their own time
and for no pay.
VM: How do you think the e-cig
industry will evolve over the next
five years?
LR: I think we will hold our breath to see
what happens with the TPD.
VM: Are there any good news
stories that you’d like to share with
Vapouround readers?
LR: We recently did an informal
survey of in-patients with poor
mental health. Almost every
one of them wanted to stop
smoking. They knew it was
leaving them breathless, and
they had little money to spare,
because they had spent it all
on tobacco. Almost all said
they wanted to use an e-cig
to stop smoking, and we’ve
managed to get everything in
place to make this a reality.
To keep in touch with Louise,
please follow her on Twitter
(@grannylouisa)
For more information about Stop
Smoking Leicester, go to website
WWW.STOPSMOKINGLEIC.CO.UK
NOW OR CALL 0116 454 4000
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE ISSUE 03 15